SolandMonica.com

Numero Uno…we didn’t get the house.  We are ok with that because we were praying that if it was meant to be then we’d get it and if not, then we wouldn’t.  We have peace about it.  They are keeping our offer as a back-up offer, but we’ll continue to look at houses for now.

Numero Dos…I have some sort of sinus thing.  Tuesday I woke up with no voice which made teaching interesting, and my nose has been dripping constantly.  I walk around my classroom with my box of Puffs under my arm.  My kids have been great, but I need to be well for chemo on Friday.  They drew blood today, so hopefully my white count is ok and I get better by Friday.

Numero Tres…Sol and I aren’t sleeping very well.  Neither of us has had a good night’s sleep in over a week.  It is very frustrating as we are both so exhausted.  The praise is that Kai is sleeping beautifully! 🙂

Prayer Requests:

1. We have plans this weekend to go to the UCLA v. Fresno State football game at the Rose Bowl.  Please pray that I feel well enough to go and that if I don’t, I’ll be smart enough to stay home!  I tend to overdo it at times!

2. Chemo is on Friday, and I need to be healthy before they hit my immune system again!

3. Sleep for the weary.  Sol and I both need to get some sleep soon.

Well, that’s the short of it all.  I am heading off to bed right now, hoping/wishing for a full night’s rest!  Talk to you all later!

Thanks for everything!

Love,

Monica

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Please pray for us as we are struggling with our health today.  The three of us have some sort of fluish type thing.  Kai had it on Saturday, but we thought it was just a Milk allergy.  Then last night, Sol was up and down who knows how many times.  This morning I woke up and was hit with the bug.  I really am praying that the 15 or so people who were over last night do not get it!  I had to go into work because I did not have any sub plans written for today, but then I came home and slept for a couple of hours, then went back to work in the afternoon to model a lesson in a classroom, then home for a couple more hours in bed before picking up Kai at daycare.  He seems to be over it, but Sol and I are still having a hard time.  Sol stayed home from work today and worked on stuff from here.

Pray that everyone gets better before my scheduled chemo this Friday.  They will be drawing blood on Wednesday afternoon, and I CAN’T be sick!  I will be calling the doctor’s office tomorrow (Tuesday) to find out the results of the CT scan.  Then on Friday, I have an appointment at 11:15 and Chemo at 1:45 pending a good outcome on the CT scan.

Thank you so much for all the encouragement I received and prayers written to us about tomorrow’s results.  I think since we didn’t get too much sleep last night, I should have no problem sleeping tonight.  Hopefully it’s not my turn to get up and down all night!

Love,
Monica

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Since school has started, life here has been crazy!  I find myself stretched in all different directions.  I apologize for not updating sooner.  Usually that means I’m out and about and feeling ok! 😉

Thank you for praying for my students.  So far, they are wonderful!  I have enjoyed getting to know them and being back in the classroom.  Being out of the classroom for a year, it has been hard getting back in the groove of teaching.  The piles of papers are beginning to pile up around my classroom as I try to figure out how to balance two jobs at the school.  I am teaching three periods, and I have three periods of literacy coaching.  So far the second half of my job has been distributing supplies and trying to find things that seems to be missing.  Amazingly, it has really kept me busy!  Soon I will be going into classrooms and helping teachers with Language Arts needs!  It will be both fun and challenging.

Last Friday, I had chemo, and it seems to have gone very well.  I didn’t have many side-effects, mainly just fatigue.  As I was having chemo, I signed papers on an offer on a house.  It was really kind of exciting, but I’ll tell you more about that later.  At the end of chemo, my parents, sister and niece, Athailia, came through the door.  They were here all weekend.  Sol and I had already planned to go to the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday and happened to have 2 extra tickets, so my parents were able to go with us while my sister, cousin, Rachyl, and her boyfriend, Jonathan watched Kai.  It was a fun evening of music from the L.A. Philharmonic, a fireworks show, and two crazy bus rides!  🙂  It was really nice to have my family here, even though I wasn’t feeling my best.  Althailia has changed so much in 2 months, and Kai loved having her here.  🙂 

About the house, we made an offer and are waiting to hear from the bank.  It is a short-sale, and we’ve always heard that those take a while, but this seems to be moving pretty fast.  Our agent said that we should hear by the end of the week whether or not the bank accepted our offer or will be countering.  It is exciting to think that we could be in a home by the holidays!   🙂 

This Friday is my CT scan to see if the chemo has been working.  When this all started again in July, this CT scan is as far as the doctor told me the plan.  He said 8 weeks of chemo and then a CT scan to check the tumors.  I don’t know exactly what the next steps are, but I think that if chemo appears to be working, then we’ll continue with this chemo, and if it doesn’t, then we’ll try something else.  I am really praying that the scans come back clean, and they find no trace of cancer in any of my organs!  I believe God performs miracles, and he is in control of everything.  He is the great physician and can heal me if He chooses to do so!  I am living my life one day at a time and doing what I can to live with no regrets, because none of us is promised tomorrow. 

Thank you for your support and you prayers.  Here are a few specifics:

Pray for the CT scan on Friday at 4:00.  I am very anxious about it and will have to wait until Tuesday for the results.

Please pray for Kai and for us.  He has been acting out aggressively recently at school and home.  He was sent to the office two days in a row now for biting.  Yesterday he bit a friend, and today he bit himself! 

Pray for me in terms of balancing my life – the two parts of my job, my family, Bible study, chemo and doctor’s appointments.  It is all feeling overwhelming! 

Pray for our house hunting, that we would be guided to the right house and that the offer would go through only if it’s right for our family.

Finally, our renters in Fresno just gave their 30-day notice.  Please pray that we will be able to find renters by October.  We already have a few leads and are hoping that one of them works out!

Thank you and I’m so sorry it took me so long to update! 

Love,

Monica

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Today started with sleeping in.  Thanks, Sol!  I started to move and felt some pain in my abdomen.  Thinking it was just gas, I headed for the restroom.  I spent a good deal of time in there emptying my bowels.  Only after feeling it was safe to leave the restroom, I headed back to bed with some lingering abdominal pain.  I stayed in bed, sleeping off and on for a few hours.  When I got out of bed, a little after 11:00, I couldn’t believe how much better I felt.  Praise!

Later in the afternoon, we went looking at houses.  Prices are coming down, and it’s starting to get a little encouraging!  We may even be able to buy a house in a decent neighborhood.  🙂

During the day, I received news of the passing of a friend’s darling husband. It is so heartbreaking and sad. Please pray for her as she deals with this terrible loss and emptiness in her life.

Monica

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I received a phone message the other day, and it brought me to tears.  Someone I recently met, Patty, called to tell me that she had emailed the Angels on my behalf telling them about my missing the game.  They emailed her back offering me tickets to a home game of my choice!  How amazing is that?  It makes me want to go out and buy some Angel’s gear to wear to the game.  So on August 13th, I’ll be sporting red at the Angel’s game against the Mariners!  So fun!

Patty, thank you so much for doing something so unexpected and blessing me this way.   I’ll have to add it to the long list of things that people have done to bless me and my family.  God has brought such amazing people along side of me during this time, thank you all!

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Thank you so much for all of the prayers that went up today as I went in to have the port checked out. They took off all the tape and steri-strips, with some skin, and removed the sutures. It was actually very painful. Any and all adhesives take my skin with it, so I have red marks in the shape of squares where the bandages were and lines where the steri-strips were removed. I guess I heal well and quickly. The sutures were somewhat embedded into my skin making the removal of them more difficult and involved. They had to pull them out from the skin before they could cut them. I thought today would be easy, but I guessed wrong. Two nurses removed them apologizing the whole time for the pain.

In the end I had to wait for a doctor to come and look at the wound and tell me that it was a bit red, but that was probably from all the tugging and tape removal and it should go away. He said that I can shower – Yay! It’s been a week, so I know that Sol is excited about that (as am I…feeling pretty gross!). 😉

When I asked about using the port tomorrow for the blood draw, the nurse said that it was probably ok, but that there would be some pain. They have to feel for the port and then actually pinch it a bit before putting the special needle right into it. I don’t know which would be worse. Using the port tomorrow or having them search for a vein to draw blood through. I have to choose the lesser of the two evils. She told me to take a pain pill before going in…it might help. I’m scared and can’t wait for this part to be over and the port to be fully functional with NO pain!

I’m going to try to get some much needed sleep tonight. Thanks for all the emails and reminders that you’re praying for me. I need to hear it and enjoy reading your encouraging words!

By the way, Kai was fine at school. When we finally got through to the school, they said everyone was ok. He was a little scared talking about it later when we picked him up – so cute.

Love,

Monica

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I am happy to say that chemo went super smoothly.  No trouble finding a vein (although it was in a weird location on my arm), no reaction to the drugs and not too much nausea tonight.  The only strange thing was that when the Taxol was going in, I could taste it.  Luckily, they had some Lifesavers I could suck on.  They really earned their name today in my book.  I have a bit of pain from the Port Placement, but that’s about it.  I am tired and heading to bed here pretty quick, but just want to let you all know that today has actually been the best day of my week so far!  Hard to believe, but true.

Tonight was the Concert in the Park and our church band played a mix of songs, mostly U2 type songs.  It was nice to go out and see so many familiar faces, but I think I may have pushed it just a bit.  Mostly I just sat there while Sol and his mom chased Kai around, but even that might have been too much.

I guess I just don’t want to admit that I have cancer.  I can still do it all, right?  I just sit here praying that the chemo is attacking these darn tumors as I’m typing or doing whatever it is at the moment.  I talked to the oncologist today and asked him about treating the 4 cm tumor in my liver and then starting chemo, but he said that it is already too big for the less invasive surgical treatments, and that he really thinks that this chemo is going to shrink it enough to get it out with clear margins in a less invasive surgery.  I pray he’s right.  He is going to refer me to a liver surgeon so that I can talk to him about my choices.  I think that might make me feel better.

Anyway, I am doing ok.  I don’t have anything until Monday when I am supposed to have a lymphedema appointment.  I asked if that was ok and the doctor said yes since my tumors are not in the lymphatic system.  I think I have to wear some big foam arm-squisher thing for two weeks and then a compression sleeve.  There isn’t too much swelling, but they want to treat it now, so that there never is much swelling.

On Tuesday, I’ll be heading to Long Beach Memorial for follow-up with the stitches and dressings.

On Wednesday, I’ll have blood drawn, hopefully through the Power Port, if I get clearance on Tuesday.

On Thursday, more chemo.

Thank you for all of your encouragement, emails, support, hugs, dinner volunteering, babysitting, ride-giving, phone calls, text messages, and sincere concern.  You all have been so wonderful!  I cry and smile reading everything you all write.  I received a package FULL of cards and notes from Sol’s brother, Diego’s, church family.  It really touched me to receive such wonderful notes of encouragement from kids and their families who don’t even know me.  There are many who write whom I’ve never met and that is so hard to believe.  I don’t know why I’m having to go through this, but sometimes there are glimpses of how God is using this to touch so many lives.  It is then that I feel as though there is a reason for all of this yuckiness.  The Lord knows what I can handle, I think He’s really pushing the line sometimes, but I am still smiling and taking it one day at a time.  That’s all I can do some days – just fall asleep at the end of the day and take the next one as the sun rises.

Well this became longer than I had expected, but thanks for reading and listening to my heart.  I love you all with every fiber of my being.  This site has become a lifeline for me and a wonderful way to connect to so many of you!

Thank you and God Bless,

Monica

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I have a Power Port!  Today ended up being much longer than I thought that it would be – 7 hours instead of 5 at the hospital!  I am home now and doing just fine.  I feel a little stiff, but I think that’s because I don’t want to move too much.  I am afraid that I will do something wrong and it will all come apart.  Silly, I know, but true none-the-less.

Overall, I am feeling well.  I am a bit tired and will be going to bed soon, but am thankful that this part is over and that I will only have to be poked one more time (tomorrow) before using the port.  The port takes a week to “mature”.  It will not be ready tomorrow.

If you want the details of today – keep reading,  if you don’t – skip to the end!

The whole reason that I am getting the port is because my veins are becoming harder and harder to find.  This was truly evident when they were putting in the IV.  It was really painful and continued to be painful for the next 6 hours until it was taken out.  There was blood all over my arm after she put the IV in, and it didn’t get washed of until I got home.  They wheeled me into the room and I laid there watching them get everything ready.  I can’t have anything done to my right arm (like blood pressure, blood draws and IVs) so they put the blood pressure cuff on my leg.  When it squeezed my calf, it felt like a Charlie Horse and I was screaming.  They did it twice and then just put it on my left arm with the IV…not ideal, but definitely better than my leg.  I wasn’t put all the way out and don’t think that they gave me enough medicine.  I could hear and feel everything.  The doctor had to put a nick in my neck to feed the tube in, and when he did he said “Uh Oh.”  Not too comforting.  I could feel blood running down my neck!  Yuck!  Then when he made the hole for the Power Port, he said, “I tore a vein.”  I could feel pain and asked for medicine multiple times.  I think they may have ended up giving me too much as I was in recovery for a long time.  While in recovery, I asked for pain medication.  They have a new computer system at the hospital, which everyone was complaining about, and I had to wait more than 20 minutes to get any sort of pain killer.  Then it wasn’t enough, so they gave me more.  Anyway, that computer system really is bringing things to a halt over there.  It has only been a week and they’ll probably get faster, but when you looked around, all the nurses were on the computers trying to find where to input stuff and many patients were waiting around.  I would have been discharged sooner, but they couldn’t find where to print my discharge papers.  My friend, Keri, was told about 4 times that I would be ready in 30 minutes…she waited 3 hours just to see me!

It was a really frustrating day at the hospital, but it’s over and we’re moving on.  I start chemo tomorrow morning.  I am scared and nervous.  Sol’s mom comes in tonight and will be there with me tomorrow.  It will take about 3 1/2 hours pending it all goes smoothly!

Your prayers are so desired and felt!  I know that the Lord is in control of everything, and it is only through His strength that I get through each day doing what I must.

(Um, I just puked, need to go to bed.  Maybe, I’m not feeling as well as I thought I was!)

Love,

Monica

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Well, today was a really long and trying day! But in the end, we can celebrate. I’m getting the Power Port!

After waiting for my doctor’s office to call me about the authorization, I finally called them. The authorization to change facilities had gone through, but it hadn’t been sent to the hospital yet and no one had called me to let me know. She said she would fax it right away to the hospital and then they would call me with an appointment time. I waited about 30 minutes and then called the hospital myself. The scheduler wasn’t there when the doctor’s office called, so she didn’t even know that they had faxed the authorization. She got the auth and set me up for the appointment right there on the phone. If I hadn’t called, I might not have heard anything today. It is so frustrating to have to keep on top of everything, but I guess necessary to keep things moving.

I’ve heard that you need to be on top of things and be your own advocate many times, but can’t it ever be easy and right the first time??? I can imagine many people would just accept what is told to them and that makes me sad because they aren’t getting what they deserve and sometimes need!

So, my appointment is at 10:00 on Wednesday morning. I am so glad to have the appointment, but it is on the ONLY day that I had anything planned ALL summer. I was going to be heading to Angels Stadium for a mid-day baseball game. I won tickets at the Relay for Life back in June, and now I can’t go. I’m bummed! Instead I’ll be at the hospital for approximately 5 hours. I’ll get over it eventually! 😉

A friend told us that we are “Rolling with the Punches” to which Sol replied, “Yeah, but we’re getting pretty beat up.” That’s pretty much how we feel, but our God is bigger than this trial, and He will carry us through! Thank you for all your prayers. Things are moving in the right direction and I know that your prayers have played a major role!

Love,

Monica

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Well, what a wonderful surprise…my sister, Karen, flew out from Washington, D.C. on Thursday night!  It was fun to have everyone together.  We are both going to be heading home tomorrow (Sunday). 

I will be having a port put in on Monday at 9:30 am.  I am really nervous about the whole procedure and don’t know really what to expect.  I am not sure when chemo will begin and haven’t heard if the anti angiogenesis drug (avastin) has been approved or not.  Sol did some research on Taxol and found that it has a history to be effective in treating angiosarcoma.  That is such great news.  I also found out that one of the side effects will be losing my hair again.  I just got it back!  🙁  But, hey, if that’s the worst of it, then I’ll take that.  I have enough hats to last a long time!  🙂 

Thanks for your prayers and support as I begin a new battle this week.  I really appreciate everything everyone has done for us! 

Love,

Monica

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